


Dream Fest

by duckiesandlemons



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: M/M, Slice of Life, band au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-30
Updated: 2016-10-30
Packaged: 2018-08-27 22:47:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 1,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8420134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/duckiesandlemons/pseuds/duckiesandlemons
Summary: Yumenosaki Dream Rock Festival is the ultimate goal--if they can get there.(Drabble collection for a band AU)





	1. Tongue Piercing

**Author's Note:**

> if I ever actually make this an actually big and decent thing then...well...it happened. You can find me on twitter @ [ducksandlemons](https://www.twitter.com/ducksandlemons) where I yell a lot about this + other things
> 
> from idol boys to rock bands AKA self-indulgence the drabble collection. will be updated sporadically.

“Did you even think this through?” Mao has his cheek propped on his palm, guitar in his lap, and eyes that of complete disinterest.

And a distinct lack of empathy.

“No,” Subaru slurs.  His tongue is still swollen, the little metal ball in it clacking against his teeth and pressing against the roof of his mouth.  “…thought it wash cool?”

Subaru yelps as Makoto flicks him on the forehead.

“Cool? Really?” Makoto laughs, however.  “Man, tell him what you think, Hidaka-kun!”

“…tacky, especially since it’s a week before our major debut.”

“Ahhhh, Hokke, but it’ll be fiiiine!! It’ll heeaaaal!”

The ball catches on Subaru’s teeth again and he winces, “Ah…maybe…”

But to be honest, he got it in a fit of impulsive nervousness.  Even though Chiaki had told him that it’d all be okay over the phone, that the first show was usually the best in terms of feeling, he still felt his stomach twist itself in knots. 

 _This is it_ , he thinks.  _Trickstar’s major debut—all thanks to Anzu-chan!_

_“And if you succeed and win in a total of four battle of the bands against others, then you can secure a spot in the Yumenosaki Dream Rock Festival!”_

The Dream Fest…the stage where Trickstar will change the world and the rock scene in their town.

“But,” he says, cheer coming back to his voice, “it kinda fits the rocker image, right?”

“As if!”

“Hey!”

They’ll make it.  They have to make it.


	2. Wrong Apartment?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Subaru, Chiaki, Eichi, and awkward mornings

When Subaru goes to visit Chiaki and Tenshouin Eichi answers the door instead, he immediately says “sorry, I must have gotten the wrong apartment number” and turns around to walk the other way.  He makes it down the stairs before realizing that no, he did not get the wrong apartment number, and walks right back up to knock on the door again.  When Chiaki greets him, shirtless and bright eyed and with a _nice assortment of hickeys on his neck_ , Subaru definitely knows he has the right apartment.

“So, uhhh,” he stutters, hands tight around a cup of hot tea that smells _great_ (if only it weren’t made by his band’s technically mortal enemy), “…Chi-chan-sempai…good morning?”

“Mornin’!” Chiaki chirps.  “Ah, don’t mind Eichi he usually gets up early.”

“But someone got clingy,” is the gentle reminder Eichi gives.

While sitting practically in Chiaki’s lap.  Subaru feels incredibly awkward.

Didn’t Takamin tell him something about who you choose to date says a lot about what you want to see of yourself in a person?  Is Chiaki not telling him something does he have some inner…sadistic streak or—

“It’s complicated,” Eichi says, as if reading Subaru’s mind.  “But don’t let my presence bother you.”

 _It totally bothers me!_ Subaru mentally screams.

“A-anyways, Chi-chan-sempai, I need help!” he says, ignoring the hickeys that are still showing past the collar of Chiaki’s shirt and how Eichi simply leans into Chiaki to doze off a bit.  Or pretend he’s not listening and is instead planning Subaru’s demise.

Which, y’know, Subaru wouldn’t put it past him.

“Help, with?” Chiaki takes a sip of his own tea.  “You sing pretty good, Akehoshi, and you’re the lead vocalist, right?  You don’t play much.”

“That’s the thing!” Subaru slams his hands on the table, bowing his head.  “Chi-chan-sempai, teach me how to play guitar!  I think it’ll really help!”

Silence greets his words.  Long, awkward silence interrupted only by a thoughtful hum from Eichi.

“Chiaki, would you really help your rival like that?”

“It’d only make it fair, Eichi.  You know I don’t like fighting people not at their best…er, bands, not at their best.”

“Hmmm,” with how Eichi sounds, this seems like it’s not the first time they’ve talked about it nor would it be the last.

“Sure!” Chiaki says, and Subaru flops back into his seat in relief.  “But I’m not going easy!”

“I wouldn’t expect you to!”

(It’s only when they’re leaving that Chiaki says something about the freshly acquired tongue piercing, saying that it looks a bit out of place. Subaru can only think of Hokuto and how he called it tacky, and yells back at Chiaki that it’s _cool, thank you very much, se-m-pai_ in response)


	3. Godzilla Tattoos

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ryuseitai is a lively little band with a lively leader. Maybe too lively and too obsessed with tokusatsu and showing off that Godzilla tattoo he has.

“They say the person you choose to date says a lot about your inner personality and what you like to see of yourself,” Tetora says as he lays the magazine (embossed in bright pink and super shiny and smelling like Anzu’s honeysuckle perfume) across the top of Midori’s kit.  Midori just arches one brow, foot tapping idly on the floor and his drumsticks dangling loosely from his hand.

“Narcissism?” he asks.

“I dunno.  It kind of makes sense.” Tetora gains this longing look in his eyes.  “I wanna date Kuro-san—he’s such an—“

Midori yawns, picking up the magazine.

“So what does that say about people who wanna date Captain?” he flips the page.  Honestly, he doesn’t know who would want to date Morisawa Chiaki.  The man played a mean guitar (that was decked out in various stickers of his favorite hero shows) and had Ryuseitai tattooed in big and bold letters across his shoulder blades.  Oh, and he can’t forget the logo for Jetman that Chiaki had tattooed on his left bicep, or the Godzilla tattoo that crawled up his right leg and had flames circling his hip that Midori only saw once because Chiaki had absolutely no shame.

“They have good taste?”

“I can’t imagine anyone wanting to secretly be a hero.”

“Alright! We ready for practice!” on cue, the door slams open, Chiaki ambling in with his guitar case slung over his shoulder, with Kanata and Shinobu following behind him.  “We got a gig coming up soon that Anzu secured for us! Battle of the bands, versus Knights!”

Midori groans.  Those types of things were always too troublesome.

“We’ll sweep the audience off their feet—we’ll show them Ryuseitai’s sound!” Chiaki crows, pumping his fist in the air.  The metal of his rings flash in the light of the practice room.  Tetora cheers with him, throwing his own fist up.

Heroic, loud, in charge—that’s what Ryuseitai’s sound is.  It’s to inspire hope, it’s to bring courage and adrenaline rushing forth all at once.

_The hero’s final stand—the battle clinching move that saves the day with a powerful force!  Ryuseitai will show it!  We’ll show it through our song!_

“Takamine, focus,” Kanata says as he passes by.  Tetora’s already reaching for his own guitar, and Shinobu’s fiddling with his keytar.

Midori breathes in, then out.  Magazine forgotten, tossed to the side—they got a gig coming up.  They have to win if they wanna secure a spot in the Yumenosaki Rock Festival of Dreams.

“We ready!?” Chiaki asks, excitement in every word.  “Alright!  _One, two, three_ —“ 

* * *

 

“ _Morisawa, pull your god damn pants up!_ ”

“ _But Izumi you said you wanted to see—_ “

 _“That doesn’t mean take your pants off on the god damn stage!_ ”

“They get along well, don’t they,” Tetora comments, watching as their esteemed lead guitarist, lead vocalist, and band leader torment Knight’s second guitarist by trying to show him the Godzilla tattoo on his right leg.  It’s leading to a hilarious one legged hop while Izumi fights him in trying to pull his pants back up.

“Chiaki-kun is a man of impulses,” Arashi adds.  “He’d be fun to date.”

The face Midori makes in response almost has Tetora laughing.  Fun to date would be right.

“ _Oh, Morisawa, I wanna see!_ ”

“ _Ou-sama, you stay on that fucking floor—_ “

“ _Ah, sure, Tsukinaga!_ ”

“We’re going to get kicked out,” Midori groans.


	4. First Defeat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just gotta try harder, right?

“That…that sucked,” Makoto groans, thumping his head onto the table in their dressing room.  He’s still breathing heavily, sweat still sticking to his skin, and Subaru can sympathize.  Makoto had been going head to head with Takamin in a ways—drummer versus drummer.

And they lost.

“Chi-chan-sempai didn’t hold back _at all_ ,” Subaru says.  “You’d think he’d go easier on his student!”

But that’s not like Chiaki.  Not when he’s in a good show with the crowd roaring for Ryuseitai, for that powerful music that yells out exactly who they are, what they are.  The match up had been horrible, and Anzu had even offered to book them another show, but Subaru had said yes.

 _He had said yes_.

“But this defeat,” Hokuto speaks up, though his hands are still clasped and his head hanging between his knees, “it makes you want to work harder.”

“Definitely,” Mao agrees.  “Besides, I can’t face Ricchan until I know for sure I can win!  I can’t proudly stand on that stage at Dream Fest unless I know Trickstar absolutely can’t lose!”

“Yes, yes!” Subaru grins.  “This is a stepping stone!  A sign we just have to do better!”

Especially if they were going to make it to the top, especially if they’d have to face Ryuseitai again and other bands probably _leagues_ better, and _especially—_

_Especially—_

_\--_ if they want to take on _fine_ and walk away with at least _some_ dignity.

“After this we should practice more,” Makoto says.  “Figure out where we’re weakest.”

 _Me_ , Subaru thinks.  _If I sang louder, put more feeling into it, could give more—_

“It’s not just you, Subaru.” Hokuto moves, finally lifting his head up.  “It’s all of us.”

“So let’s try harder!” Mao holds his hand up for a high-five.  Subaru’s hand connects solidly with Mao’s, the noise echoing in their room.  Despite their defeat, they feel more refreshed than before.

“Next time, for sure, we’ll win!”

“Excuse me—“ they’re interrupted by Anzu’s voice and a polite knock on the door.  “I want to talk about your next show…”


	5. Producer-san

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Being Anzu is suffering.

“Anzu-chan, did you get all the bands who will be participating in the rock fes?”

“Ah, yes!” she hands over the list, letting her boss look over it.

“…Anzu-chan.”

“Yes?”

“…these bands have all faced each other…you’re saying they all earned the same amount of wins to get into the dream festival?”

“Yes!”

Although that’s a lie.  Anzu had to pull a few strings here and there, especially if she wanted to get Trickstar in.

“….well, they’re popular, and they’ll draw a big crowd.  Especially _fine_ ….hmmm…thanks again, Anzu-chan.”

“You’re welcome!” she waves farewell to her boss, heaving a sigh when they leave.  “Let’s hope everything goes okay…”

She honestly doesn’t know at this point.  Each band was unique in their own way, and she personally worked with them all at least once.  She can only hope that everything goes off well this year at the festival and not…blow up spectacularly in flames.  She jumps when her phone starts ringing, the happy notes distracting.

“Yes, this is Anzu—ah, Akehoshi-kun!  Yes, you needed to speak to me about a li— _what!?_ ”

He didn’t…he couldn’t…

“ _You want to perform a live where!?  That’s impossible!_ ”

Forget about Dream Fest right now, she thinks.  She has to stop crazy bands and their crazy ideas of where to perform.


End file.
